Print Resources for Writing Your Paper

Web Resources for Writing Your Paper

These OWL resources will help you with the writing process: pre-writing (invention), developing research questions and outlines, composing thesis statements, and proofreading. While the writing process may be different for each person and for each particular assignment, the resources contained in this section follow the general work flow of pre-writing, organizing, and revising.

This website provides free college paper templates to help students structure and outline their assignments, including how to write a literary analysis, argumentative essay, expository essay, etc.

The Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the main idea of your research paper. It is the point around which your entire argument will support/prove/return to. Here are some hints and tips for writing a thesis statement (and sticking to it!):

Ask a question!

Answer the question and take a stance on the issue presented.

Make sure the topic is interesting to you, if you are bored your readers will be bored.

Make sure the topic fits the length required of your research paper.

Can this topic be addressed in the assigned range of 3-5 pages? If not, you may need to change your topic.

Incorporating Your Sources

Paraphrasing/Summarizing:

Paraphrasing or summarizing a source quotations can be a good alternative to overusing direct quotations in a research assignment. It is also a useful skill when synthesizing information to demonstrate understanding of the material. Paraphrasing or summarizing a source means to explain the idea of the source quote without using the exact language of the source or to explain it in simpler terms.

Paraphrased or summarized sources still need to be cited.

Direct Quotations:

Direct quotations of sources should be used sparingly, especially long, block quotations and only when they contribute to the scholarly aspect of your research paper in a greater way than summarizing the source can. Directly quoting a source means to use the exact language of a source.

In Paragraph

When using a short direct quote, less than four lines of text, the quote can be incorporated into the paragraph, bracketed by quotation marks followed by the in-text citation appropriate to the source.

Block Quotes

For direct quotes longer than four lines of text the quote should be separated from the prior paragraph in the form of a block of text, formatted according to the citation style your instructor prefers and followed by the correct in-text citation.

Always, always, always attribute credit to the original author of a source used. Avoid plagiarism!